Middle School Update

Term 2 has been a busy and rewarding one, with students embracing an amazing range of curricular and co-curricular opportunities. Highlights have included students travelling to Sydney to represent the School at the National Da Vinci Competition, Music students performing at the Wind, Brass and Percussion Concert as well as the Sings and Strings Concert, French students reading poetry at the annual Alliance Française competition, our cross country team competing at the All Schools Cross Country event, Year 8 students exploring science beyond the classroom at the Woodbridge Marine Discovery Centre and Year 7 students stepping outside their comfort zones to experience new activities such as trampolining and kite making.

These experiences, along with the many learning opportunities featured throughout this newsletter, reflect the breadth of life in the Middle School and the enthusiasm with which our students embrace new challenges. It is no surprise that, as we reach the end of the Term, there is a shared sense of both accomplishment and well-earned fatigue!

House and Student Leadership

Student leadership and House spirit have flourished throughout Term 2. Students enthusiastically nominated for Semester 2 House Leader positions, sharing their vision for how they would serve and strengthen their House communities. House pride was also evident in the spirited and keenly contested House Table Tennis competition. In addition, students embraced Pride Month by supporting a range of initiatives, including a rainbow-themed bake sale, a free dress day and a Pride Art competition, demonstrating their commitment to celebrating diversity and fostering an inclusive School community.

Reconciliation Week

During Reconciliation Week, Middle School staff came together to create a collaborative poster and make a collective pledge, reflecting on the practical actions we can take to support reconciliation.

We wrote: 'As a staff, we pledge to value and embrace diversity and truth-telling. We will listen to understand different perspectives and stand up against racism and injustice.'

We traced our hands, wrote our names and added the statement, All In. In a SEL session that followed, each Key Class created its own poster and pledge.

Languages Celebration Days

Our Year 8 students recently enjoyed a vibrant Language and Culture Day, immersing themselves in the cultures of the three languages offered in the Middle School. The day provided students with the opportunity to choose from a range of engaging, hands-on experiences, encouraging them to explore new interests while gaining a deeper appreciation of language and culture.

Activities included Jeu de Paume (Royal Tennis) as part of the French program, energetic Taiko drumming for Japanese, Black Forest Gateau baking for German, as well as lantern making and a cultural scavenger hunt. Students embraced the opportunity to step outside their comfort zones, try something new and learn through authentic cultural experiences. It was wonderful to see such enthusiasm, curiosity and enjoyment throughout the day.

Year 7 Connections

In Year 7 Connections, students have enjoyed significant choice during both enrichment and immersion days. The Ancient Greece program offered Drama, Mathematics, Archaeogeography, Pottery Drawing, Myths and Olympic Games/Agoge Training. During the Immersion Day, students could go trampolining, make kites, participate in an Art session, engage in an engineering challenge based on earthquake simulation, play board and card games, explore binary computing, make a zine, create poetry for the FAW Beatrice Clarke Young Poets Award and explore medical sciences through Patient Zero.

Lindy Gannon - Head of Middle School (Years 7 & 8)